Toyota has contacted Jalopnik and informed us their company's perplexing attempt to claim rights to desktop images uploaded by users and hosted at DesktopNexus was the result of an "internal miscommunication" and they they offered a sincere apology to those at the site involved in the fracas. This is a major reversal. As recently as Moday the company's lawyers were threatening to pursue legal action if any desktop image with any Toyota vehicle was left on DesktopNexus. To Toyota's credit, they realized what a major publicity mistake they were making and quickly changed course before making it an even bigger story. The statement from Toyota below the jump.

Hi Matt. The recent request Toyota made to have certain photos of Toyota vehicles removed from the public wallpaper site, DesktopNexus, was the result of an internal miscommunication. To protect the legal rights and agreements we have with the photographers we hire, we ask that the photographs not be used for direct consumer advertising, sales brochures and the like. If people wish to post their own photos of one of their own vehicles, that's their right. In fact, we're pleased that people would want to show their Toyota vehicles to the world. So have at it. Consider the wallpapers on DesktopNexus to be fair game for personal use. Please let your readers know that we offer a sincere apology to the DesktopNexus site and its users for any inconvenience or disruption this miscommunication may have caused. Thanks for your understanding, Scott DeYager Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Corporate Communications